Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunny Flora’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Sunny Flora’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; dense and bushy growth habit; freely flowering habit; and red purple-colored ray florets and dark purple-tipped disc florets.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Osteospermum eckloniscultivar Sunny Flora.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofOsteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Flora’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Odense, Denmark. The objective of the breeding programis to create new compact Osteospermums with continuous flowering, goodpostproduction longevity and attractive flower coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from a self-pollination made by theInventor in 2001 of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny Alex, notpatented.

The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant within the resulting progeny from theself-pollination in a controlled environment in Odense, Denmark.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetativecuttings was first conducted in Odense, Denmark. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunny Flora has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Flora’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunny Flora’ as a new and distinctOsteospermum:

1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.

2. Dense and bushy growth habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Large inflorescences.

5. Red purple-colored ray florets and dark purple-tipped disc florets.

Compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Sunny Alex, plants of thenew Osteospermum are more compact, have lighter green-colored leaves,and have shorter and stronger peduncles.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the cultivarSunny Lady, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,353. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Fyn, Denmark, plants of the new Osteospermumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Sunny Lady in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more compact and denser thanplants of the cultivar Sunny Lady.

2. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more upright and not as outwardlyspreading as plants of the cultivar Sunny Lady.

3. Plants of the new Osteospermum had lighter green-colored foliage thanplants of the cultivar Sunny Lady.

4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Sunny Lady differedin ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Sunny Lady hadlighter-colored ray florets.

5. Plants of the new Osteospermum had longer and sturdier peduncles thanplants of the cultivar Sunny Lady.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newOsteospermum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Flora’ grown in a 11-cm container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Flora’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Fyn, Denmark, in a glass-coveredgreenhouse during the winter and spring. After planting rooted cuttings,plants were grown for about 20 weeks in 11-cm containers. During thefirst five weeks of production of the plants, day and night temperatureswere about 20° C., then temperatures were reduced to 14° C. Colorreferences were made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,4^(th) Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical Classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sunny Flora.

Parentage: Self-pollination of Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar SunnyAlex, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate rooting.—About 10 to 14 days at 18 to 21° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and branching.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Compact,upright and mounded plant habit. Freely branching; dense and bushygrowth habit. Vigorous growth rate.

Plant height.—About 17 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—About 17 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About four primary lateralbranches and about seven secondary lateral branches. Length, primarybranches: About 3 cm. Length, secondary branches: About 7 to 12 cm.Diameter, primary and secondary branches: About 4 to 5 mm. Internodelength: About 3 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright to about 10 to 20° fromvertical. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:144C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length: About 3 to5 cm. Width: About 1 to 4 cm. Shape: Obovate to lanceolate. Apex:Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Broadly serrate. Venation pattern:Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; scattered short,stiff hairs. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developingfoliage, lower surface: 148C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface:139B; venation, same as lamina. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:147A; venation, 148B. Petiole: Length: About 1 to 2 cm. Diameter: About2 to 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 145B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above and beyondthe foliage on moderately strong and sturdy peduncles. Compositeinflorescence form, radially symmetrical, with elliptic-shaped rayflorets and disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc floretsdevelop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent.Inflorescences face mostly upright to about 10° from vertical.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from the springthrough the fall.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about five to ten days on the plant.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—Freely flowering; about 15 budsand open inflorescences.

Fragrance.—Faint; fresh, lemon-like.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 6 to 7 cm.

Disc diameter.—About 1.5 cm.

Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape:Globular. Color: Towards the base, 145C; towards the apex, 154B.

Ray florets.—Length: About 2.5 to 2.8 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape:Elliptic. Apex: Rounded with slight emargination. Base: Acute. Margin:Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Orientation:Initially upright then about 80° from vertical. Number of ray floretsper inflorescence: About 18 in one whorl. Color: When opening, uppersurface: Ground color, 75C; towards the apex, 77B. When opening, lowersurface: Ground color, 155D, with longitudinal stripes, 94B. Fullyopened, upper surface: Ground color, 72A; towards the base, 75D. Fullyopened, lower surface: Ground color, 91A, with longitudinal stripes,90A.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 6 mm. Width: At apex, about 2 mm; at base, about 1 mm. Number ofdisc florets per inflorescence: About 50. Color, immature: 90B. Color,mature: N155B tipped with N89B.

Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length: About 6 to 12mm. Width: About 1 to 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Fused. Margin: Entire. Color: 137D.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5 to 7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:Moderately strong; sturdy. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144C.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five per floret; fusedaround style. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anthercolor: N99B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: N25B. Gynoecium:Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Pistil color:N187A. Style length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color:N187A. Ovary color: 2D.

Seed.—Length: About 2 to 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toOsteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercialgreenhouse or outdoor conditions.

Weather tolerance: Plant of the new Osteospermum have been observed totolerate drought, rain, wind, and temperatures from about 1 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plantnamed ‘Sunny Flora’, as illustrated and described.